The present invention concerns a method of fabrication of a semiconductor integrated circuit device; and, more particularly, it relates to a technique which is effective when applied to the fabrication of a semiconductor integrated circuit device including the processing, after substantial completion of the formation of a circuit pattern on a semiconductor wafer, from the back grinding step of grinding the back surface of a semiconductor wafer to the dicing step of cutting a semiconductor chip into individual chips, further including the die bonding step of picking-up and mounting the chip on a substrate.
In the fabrication steps of back grinding a semiconductor wafer, dividing the semiconductor wafer by dicing into individual chips and die bonding to effect the mounting of individual chips on a substrate, a semiconductor wafer is conveyed and subjected to predetermined treatment while being bonded to a tape.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-152058 (Patent Literature 1) describes a wafer transfer device comprising a first UV-ray irradiation unit for irradiating UV-rays to a protective tape, a positioning unit for positioning a wafer, a mount unit integrated with a ring frame, a protective tape releasing unit for releasing the protective tape from the surface of the wafer and a second UV-ray irradiation unit for irradiating UV-rays to a dicing tape. The device can transfer the wafer, which is bonded to the protective tape, continuously and automatically to a dicing tape and a ring frame, irrespective of the kind of protective tape and dicing tape to be used, while releasing the protective tape.
Further, for effectively performing a back surface grinding treatment and an etching treatment to be applied to the back surface of a wafer, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-179023 (Patent Literature 2) describes the in-line constitution of a grinder device for back grinding the back surface of a wafer that is adhered to a protective tape at the circuit forming surface thereof, a back side etching device for back side etching the back surface that has been ground by the grinder device and a transfer device for transferring the wafer to a dicing tape, while releasing the protective tape from the wafer.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-133395 (Patent Literature 3) describes a technique for conducting a bonding step, a back grinding step, a tape exchange step, a picking-up step and a die bonding step using a wafer fixing jig comprising an outer frame and a rubber membrane disposed in the outer frame that increases and decreases in volume while deforming in shape in response to the supply air to the inside thereof, in which a tape disposed between the wafer and the rubber membrane is deformed so as to be gradually urged from the center toward the outer side of the wafer when the rubber member increases in volume.
[Patent Literature 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-152058
[Patent Literature 2] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-179023
[Patent Literature 3] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-133395